The Long-term Benefits of Having a Summer Job

More work can be better for your kid’s future, this study finds.

Your teenager has hit that milestone: they want to attend soccer camp once again, hang out with their friends all summer long and watch TV, but now there’s another element in the air: a summer job.

Should they get one? It’s a toss up. Some parents prefer to keep their kids from the racket of employment for as long as possible. Let them be kids. The kids will have years to worry about dealing with resumes, skill upgrades, impressing the right ears and eyes at the best moment while chasing their dreams.

But others feel there’s no time like the present. Time to jump start that potential.

And while both positions are valid, professionals back the second one up.

A study done by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that working a summer or evening job as an adolescent gives kids a leg up later in life.

Through part-time jobs, teens are able to develop an early knowledge of the working world, and also how to manage it. Consequently, it was found they are more likely to find employment and earn more money in the future.

In fact, when the job extends into the school term, researchers found that the more hours a 15-year old worked, the better their career prospects. It all comes down to facing time management.

Flipping burgers sounds boring? Maybe. But it might not be a bad alternative to another week at summer camp.